Iran's President and Top Leaders Threaten "Zionists and Their Supporters" Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday vowed once again to destroy Israel and called for a referendum to transfer Israel's Jews to Canada, Alaska or Europe.

Date:   10/8/2007 7:42:06 PM ( 17 y ago)

Ahmadinejad Calls Again to Destroy Israel

Iran's President and Top Leaders Threaten "Zionists and Their Supporters"

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday vowed once again to destroy Israel and called for a referendum to transfer Israel's Jews to Canada, Alaska or Europe.

"Canada and Alaska have vast lands, why don't you relocate them over there and keep helping them over there with (aid of) 30 to 40 billion dollars per year for building a new existence over there," [1] Ahmadinejad said during a rally in Tehran to mark Al Quds Day, a political holiday Iran created to protest the "enemies of Islam." [2]

Ahmadinejad, who presides over the most active state sponsor of terror in the world, [3] also cautioned that the world's powers "should not think that the Iranian nation and other nations in the region will take off [sic] their hands off the throat of the Zionists and their supporters." [4]

According to Iran's official national news outlet, The Islamic Republic News Agency, Ahmadinejad stated that the "creation of the Zionist regime, [and the] continuation of its existence... are an insult to human dignity." [5] Millions of Iranians attended Al Quds Day rallies throughout Iran [6] and the Muslim world, including in Syria, [7] Bahrain, [8] Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia. [9]

According to Iran's Fars News Agency, in a speech at the Tehran rally, former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said the planned November peace meeting between Israel and the Palestinians is a wasted opportunity and that Palestinians should continue their resistance against Israel. [10]

Ayatollah Mahould Hashemi Shahroudi, Iran's judiciary chief, said Friday's rallies were "a good start for the destruction of the Zionist regime." [11]

Al Quds Day was established following Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979. The founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan "the International Quds Day," [12] intended to protest the "enemies of Islam, at the head America and Israel." [13]

Ahmadinejad's belligerence towards Israel, as well as his regime's leading role in sponsoring terrorist organizations and pursuit of a nuclear program in defiance of the United Nations, have defined his leadership. Ahmadinejad has said Israel should be "wiped off the map" [14] and has repeatedly referred to the Holocaust as a "myth." [15] Ahmadinejad's threats extend well beyond Israel. On July 11, 2006, for example, he said, "The rage of the Muslim peoples will not be restricted to the boundaries of our region... The waves of the explosion... will reach the corrupt forces [i.e. the Western countries] which support this fake regime." [16]

Ahmadinejad has previously said Israel should be relocated to Alaska and that Jews should return to the European countries they fled during the Holocaust. [17]

Iran's nuclear program, which has been described by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner as "a real danger for the whole world," [18] is now reportedly comprised of close to 3,000 centrifuge machines, which would be enough to start refining usable amounts of nuclear fuel. [19] Ahmadinejad stated Friday that "no power can stop this nation from making more and more achievements" in its pursuit of its nuclear program and continued to "announce to the whole world that the Iranian nation has passed the difficult points" on its nuclear path. [20] On Sept. 25, Ahmadinejad told countries gathered for the U.N. General Assembly that his country's nuclear program is "closed" as a political issue. [21] International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said in May 2007 that Iran could acquire nuclear weapons within three years. [22]

Iran, the world's most active state sponsor of terror, provides funding, weapons, training and sanctuary to numerous terrorist groups. [23] Iran is Hezbollah's main arms supplier and has replenished Hezbollah's cache of Katyusha and longer-range rockets that were depleted during the defensive war Israel fought against Hezbollah in the summer of 2006. Iran also supplies Hezbollah advanced anti-tank weapons and surface-to-air rockets. [24]

Iran gives Hamas $20 million a year [25] and provided an additional $50 million after Hamas won control of the Palestinian Authority in 2006. [26] Iran also provided Hamas members intensive military training in the weeks and months leading up to the group's takeover of the Gaza Strip. [27]

Furthermore, prominent military analysts believe that Iran is responsible for the majority of U.S. casualties sustained in Iraq. Iran manufactures explosively formed penetrators that have killed and wounded a large majority of U.S. troops. [28] In order to stoke civil unrest in Iraq, Iran provides funding and arms both to Shi'ite and to Sunni groups. [29]

Ahmadinejad recently spoke at Columbia University in New York and the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. via videoconference.

For sources and additional information about Iran and President Ahmadinejad, please see:
Iran Press Kit.

For information about U.S. efforts to divest from Iran, please see:
Terror-Free Investing Resources.



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Footnotes

[1] "Anti-Israeli Demonstrations Start in Iran," Fars News Agency, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8607130398

[2] "Imam's message announcing Quds Day from Sahifa-yi Nur , Vol. 8, p. 229, dated 7 August 1979," Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, accessed Oct. 5, 2007,
http://www.irib.ir/worldservice/imam/palestin_E/10.htm

[3] "Country Reports on Terrorism," U.S. Department of State, April 28, 2006,
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2005/64337.htm

[4] "Iran marks Jerusalem Day," Aljazeera, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/877E8E21-01A0-4498-B67F-7FD645096470.htm

[5] "Iranian officials support Palestine on Qods Day," IRNA, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-24/0710054137164336.htm

[6] "Millions of Iranians hold rallies to mark Jerusalem Day," The Associated Press, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/05/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Jerusalem.php

[7] "Millions of Iranians Attend Anti-Israel Rallies Called 'Al Quds Day," The Associated Press via Foxnews.com, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299603,00.html

[8] "Bahraini Muslims mark World Quds Day," Press TV, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=25908§ionid=351020202

[9] "Al-Quds Day," Foxnews.com, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,2433,00.html

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8607130432

[10] "Rafsanjani Dismisses Palestinian-Israeli Peace Conference in US," Fars News Agency, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8607130432

[11] "Millions of Iranians hold rallies to mark Jerusalem Day," The Associated Press, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/05/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Jerusalem.php

[12] "Qods Day Rallies a Global Referendum Showing Israel's Illegitimacy," Fars News Agency, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8607130416

[13] Ibid.
[14] Penketh, Anne, "Iran's leader says Jewish state 'should be wiped from map," The Independent, Oct. 27, 2005,
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article322539.ece

[15] "President: Real holocaust to be sought in Palestine, Iraq," IRNA, Feb. 11, 2006
[16] "Iran and the Recent Escalation on Israel's Borders," Middle East Media Research Institute, Special Dispatch No. 1204, July 13, 2006,
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP120406

[17] "Iranian leader: Holocaust a 'myth'," CNN, Dec. 14, 2005,
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/12/14/iran.israel/index.html

[18] "France warning of war with Iran," BBC News, Sept. 17, 2007,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6997935.stm

[19] Hafezi, Parisa. "Iran says clears hurdles to nuclear industry," Reuters, Oct. 4, 2007,
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL0457325120071004

[20] "Ahmadinejad Rules out Talks on Iran's N. Rights," Fars News Agency, Oct. 5, 2007,
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8607130396

[21] Jahn, George, DiLorenzo, Sarah and Bergman, Justin, "Ahmadinejad: Nuclear Issue "Closed," Time.com, Sept. 26, 2007,
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1665616,00.html

[22] "Iran could make nuclear bomb in three years: UN," ABC News, May 25, 2007,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1932715.htm

[23] "State Sponsors: Iran," Council on Foreign Relations Web site, Aug. 2007,
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9362/

[24] Hughes, Robin, "Iran Replenishes Hizbullah's Arms Inventory," Jane's Defence Weekly, Jan. 3, 2007
[25] "Hamas," Council on Foreign Relations Web site, accessed July 2, 2007,
http://www.cfr.org/publication/8968/

[26] Iran pledges $50m Palestinian aid," BBC News, April 16, 2006,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4914334.stm

[27] Rabinovich, Abraham, "Hamas digs in for war in Gaza," The Australian, March 16, 2007
[28] Jacobs, Jack. "Is the U.S. planning to strike Iran?" MSNBC, Oct. 2, 2007,
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21107443/

[29] Rubin, Alissa J., "U.S. Suspects That Iran Aids Both Sunni and Shiite Militias," The New York TImes, A12, April 12, 2007



 

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